Polyjuice Cocktail
by LeQuin
Summary: One-shot. A drunk Helen Granger has found something strange to drink in Hermione's room when Harry comes looking for Hermione after another fight with Ron. When Hermione shows up the next day she has to cope with the mess she finds.


**AN:** In the interest of full disclosure: I was drunk when I came up with this idea and wrote it out. I have checked it myself and taken out the obvious spelling and grammar errors, but I couldn't bring myself to ask my usual beta, my little sister, to read through a piece with explicit sex in it by her big brother. So this is un-beta-ed and a rather strange little piece which still has me doubting it should have been written in the first place. Now that it's been born though I find that I don't want to kill it. So instead I will release it into the wild and hope that it has what it takes to fend for itself.

* * *

 **Warning**

This fic contains affairs, heavy drinking, (technically) non-consensual sex and smut(ish). It will end up with Harry and Hermione together. If any of this isn't your cup of tea, you shouldn't read this.

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 **Disclaimer**

Harry Potter and all associated characters, locations and what not belong to J.K. Rowling and whoever she sells the rights to. I have borrowed these characters, locations and what not in order to mess around with them. In some cases I may lift a piece of dialogue or scene directly from the books as a touchstone. I do not own anything except the plot and I am not making any money from this endeavor. This applies to the whole story.

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Helen Granger was bored; restless and bored and _alone_. She had already consumed a bottle and a half of wine while reading her book and had put it down when the ants masquerading as letters started crawling all over the page. _It's a good thing I'm already in my pajamas. Changing might be difficult now._ She was now drifting through the house with the rest of the bottle in her hand. _Stupid Richard. The least he could do is hire a male assistant for me to screw while he's working over Peggy. He's not even doing his hubsandly...husandbly...he's not even fucking me any more. I wonder how long the bastard's been carrying on? Must've been a while already. He's not even bothering to hide what he's doing any more. Pretty soon Hermione's going to find out and what will we do then? She loves the lying, cheating son of a bitch. This'll break her heart._ As her thoughts drifted towards her daughter, Helen found herself standing outside Hermione's room. She took another swig of the bottle only to find it empty. _Stupid bottle. Maybe Hermione has some alcohol in her room. She's a teenager right? I used to hide my nosh from Mum and Dad. Maybe we can drink together and I won't feel so lonely._ With her mind probably made up, Helen knocked on the door. When she didn't get an answer, Helen opened the door.

"Her- _hic_ \- mione?" Still no answer. _I can't see a blasted thing._ Helen fumbled for the light switch on the wall and managed to knock over several books before she got it. Looking around her daughter's room caused Helen to frown. _What a bloody mess._ There were...things everywhere; things Helen couldn't put a name to but that she was sure had something to do with some magical...thing or other. What drew her attention the most was the row of phials arranged on Hermione's dresser. _Hello, what have we here? Magical beauty supplies? Nah, Hermione doesn't even use normal beauty supplies. That leaves illicit, drinkable substances. I knew it!_

Helen happily made her way over to the vanity. She grabbed the nearest phial and tried to open it. It turned out to be harder than Helen had expected and before long she was putting quite a lot of strength into pulling on the top. In the end something gave and the top shot off. The sudden movement spilt half the drink on the dresser.

"Whoops. Shit." Helen quickly grabbed her daughter's hairbrush and used the edge to scrape the liquid together on the dresser before scraping it off the edge and into the unsteadily waiting phial. When she was sure that she had everything she held the phial up to eye-level. The liquid had turned a deep, royal blue. "Whoooaaa. Pretty." _I don't know why it changes when it comes into contact with air but this looks a lot more appetizing than it did._ With a lopsided grin Helen put the phial to her lips and drained it. "Eurgh. Not yummy." _Why is Hermione keeping this disgusting stuff in her room? Being magic must do strange things to your tongue. Maybe Richard has some-_ Helen's thought process was brutally interrupted by pain tearing through her body. Her stomach was churning. That discomfort soon turned to a burning sensation which somehow spread throughout her body. Helen could hear someone screaming but couldn't focus on it as every part of her felt like it was bubbling and boiling. She could have sworn that she was melting.

When the sensation passed Helen just curled up in a ball and whimpered and cried. _I hate you, Hermione. Why would you have torture drinks in your room?_ Helen was feeling thoroughly sorry for herself and having a good sniffle about it when she heard a noise downstairs. _Probably Mr. I-Fuck-Girls-Barely-Older-Than-My-Daughter._

"Hermione?" _That's not Richard's voice._ "Hermione, are you here?" Helen couldn't help but feel curious and uncurled from her position on the floor. She got up a little unsteadily and barely managed to contain a scream as she caught sight of herself in the mirror.

"I'm Hermione." Even her voice sounded different. _How is this- It must have been a Turn-You-Into-Someone-Else Potion._

"Hermione?" There was that voice again. _Young and male. Must be either Harry or the Redhead._ Helen and Richard didn't agree on a lot anymore, but their opinion of their daughter's boyfriend was pretty much the same: _jackass._ _If it's the Redhead, I think I might just slap him. No, I can't do that while I'm being Herimone. I'll just tell him to leave._ Helen made her way unsteadily towards the door of the room and pulled open. "Hermione! There you are." _Not the Redhead._

"Harry?"

"You had me worried, Hermione. Ron flooed me and said that you'd run off somewhere." Helen could feel herself falling into those soulful green eyes. Harry was looking at her with such care, such tenderness. _I can't remember the last time someone looked at me like that. Hell, I don't know if_ anyone's _ever looked at me like that. Hermione, you lucky bitch._ "You've been crying." There was an undertone of anger in Harry's voice. "What's he done now?" _Are you talking about the Redhead? You know what? I don't fucking care._ Forcing any thoughts about the ethics of what she was doing down to her wine-sodden subconscious, Helen stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her daughter's friend and felt his arms coming around her. She felt the tears running as she confessed a suspicion she had been carrying with her for two years now that had slowly turned into a certainty.

"He's got someone else. I know that they've been fucking around on me and she even has the gall to smile at me when I see her, like she isn't killing...what we had." _Shit. I almost said marriage. That would give the game away._ Helen's conscience twinged at that thought. _I'm not doing anything wrong. I just want someone to care, even if it's just for a weird magic moment._ Helen felt Harry growl more than she heard it. His arms tightened around her. _Oh god, Hermione, how often have you felt this?_ Helen couldn't keep herself from enjoying the firmness of Harry's torso. A deep breath made it even better. She could feel a gush of warmth between her legs.

"If you need anything, I'm here for you, Hermione." _I'll just bet you are. Christ, I wish I could get you into my bed._ Helen froze as she reviewed that thought. She was drunk. She was horny. _Hell, he's a teenager. He's probably got libido to spare._ Another gush of warmth, accompanied by a hungry clench rocked her core.

"Can you...can you just stay here for a while, Harry?"

"Of course." Helen stepped back a little and was immediately struck by those green eyes again. They were full of concern this time. Helen reached down and took Harry's hand. She led him to her own bedroom and pulled him inside. She pulled him over to the bed she nominally shared with Richard and sat down on it. "Hermione?"

"Please, Harry. I just want you to hold me. I-" Helen cut off as a shiver ran through her at what she could see at eye level. _That is a_ very _nice bulge, young man. It doesn't even look like you're excited yet either._ Luckily for Helen, Harry seemed to misinterpret her shiver and a second later he was moving towards her and the bed. Helen scooted back as best she could while still holding one of his hands. They ended up laying on top of the covers together. Helen reveled in the feeling of a pair of strong, _caring_ arms around her. She did her best to burrow into the body next to her. _He smells absolutely wonderful. I'm not sure I could get more horny if I tried._

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you...could I ask you to do something for me?"

"Am I going to be murdering Ron?" there was a note of dry humour in Harry's voice and Helen couldn't stop a chuckle.

"Tempting, but no."

"Alright, then what do you need me to do?"

"I...can you promise me you'll do it first? It's a little embarrassing." Helen could feel a shift next to her and looked up. Harry was studying her worriedly.

"I'm not sure what you're going for here, Hermione, but I promise that I'll do anything I can for you." Helen could feel her heart rate picking up like it hadn't in years.

"Love me." Harry blushed a furious red.

"I already do, Hermione." he said in a soft voice as if he was confessing a great secret. _Anyone with eyes already knows you love Hermione, you dolt. Well, except for Hermione, I suppose._

"No, Harry. _Love me._ " She leant up and pressed a short kiss to Harry's lips. When she pulled back his eyes were wide as saucers.

"Hermione, are you-..." Helen rolled herself over so she was lying on top of him.

"Yes, Harry. I'm _very_ sure." she said as she leant down to kiss him again. "Please, Harry. You promised." When Harry finally started kissing her back Helen could have jumped for joy if that wouldn't have interrupted more pleasurable activities. Soon she was so wrapped up in the pleasure she was getting from Harry that nothing else seemed to matter. Her hands found their way under his clothes and traced the outlines of muscles and scars. She could feel Harry's hands exploring her own body; that it was technically Hermione's body was completely lost on Helen's lust addled mind. Eventually she couldn't take it anymore and started tugging his trousers open and down his legs. With a little help from Harry she succeeded and gasped as she saw his member for the first time.

"Oh, Harry, that is a magnificent cock." she breathed out as she grasped it and started pumping. Making sure to keep eye contact with her new lover, Helen started taking it into her mouth. Harry's eye's looked like they might pop out of his head when she tried to take him all the way down her throat. _Looks like Hermione's body still has a gag reflex. Oh well, we'll make do without._ By the time Helen popped off of Harry's cock he had a gleam in his eye that she definitely liked. She couldn't stop a giggle when Harry flipped her over and started kissing his way down her body, apparently intent on returning the favour. _Richard never did that._ Helen eagerly helped him take off her pajama bottoms. Harry's first ministrations were tentative and exploratory, but they were still the first sexual contact Helen had had with anyone in over two years. Then he did something that sent a tsunami of pleasure storming through her body. Coherent thought went out the window as Helen writhed on the bed until she screamed out her orgasm. She saw Harry sit up and give her a smug little smirk as she laid there panting. "What was that?"

"Parseltongue." _What? Never mind, I'll figure it out after you plow me like a cabbage field._

"Come here, you." Helen gasped out as she sat up and dragged him down to her. "Get inside of me." The first penetration caused Helen to gasp out in discomfort. _Feels like my little girl might still be a virgin; that or I have to feel sorry for her._ In the hour and a half that followed Helen managed to orgasm several times and they were still going. _God, he is talented; and that stamina..._ Helen was riding Harry and about to lose herself again. She felt her orgasm building and picked up the pace. She could feel a heat spreading through her body which seemed to burst into flames right as she screamed her release. Completely spent Helen collapsed on Harry's chest. "I don't know if I can go another round, Harry." Helen had barely finished speaking when she found herself unceremoniously dumped to one side. She heard scrambling and when she looked up Harry had his wand pointed at her and was looking horrified.

"Who are you and what have you done with Hermione?" he demanded in a shaky voice.

"What are you talking about, Harry?" _Oh shit! My voice is back to normal!_ Helen quickly surveyed her body to find that it was indeed her own body. _Oh shitshitshit!_ "Wait, Harry, it's me. It's Helen. Hermione introduced us before you started your second year. Remember?"

"If you're Hermione's mum then where did you get Polyjuice? How did you make it last more than an hour?"

"I didn't know it was temporary. I just found some bottles in Hermione's room. I was a little drunk and when I opened one it turned a lovely blue and I drank it. It hurt like blazes and when I could focus again I was in Hermione's body." Harry's eyes were still darting back and forth as if he was looking for a place to run to. "Harry?" Those green eyes locked on her and before Helen could say anything else Harry had disappeared with a loud crack. Helen stared at the space he had occupied just a moment ago before collapsing back on the bed. She felt sick to her stomach. _What have I done?_

:-:-:-:-:

Helen was sitting at the kitchen table nursing a mug of tea. Her head was throbbing and her conscience was up in arms. _I can't believe I did that last night. Why did the stupid potion have to run out when it did? I could have...no, I was already in the wrong. I was doing exactly what I was angry at Richard for doing, except that I managed to find someone even younger. I don't want to know what Hermione is going to say when she finds out. Maybe Harry won't tell her. No, it won't matter, Hermione will notice that some of her Body-Swap Potion is missing. I wonder if it turned her into me? That would mean that she already knows._

"Mum? Do you have a minute?" _Aargh!_ Helen's head shot up and she could feel her heart beating in her throat at the sound of her daughter's voice.

"Hermione? What are you doing here, sweetheart?" Hermione was giving her dressing robe an odd look and Helen pulled it tighter around herself so that Hermione wouldn't catch on to the fact that she was still naked underneath it.

"Mum, are you...are you hungover?" Hermione asked in disbelief. Helen just glared at her. _What? Am I not allowed to get pissed anymore?_ She carefully ignored the part of her conscience that was throwing up images of why not being allowed to drink anymore might be a good thing.

"Yes, I am. Now, what is it that has you showing up here when you were spending the weekend at your boyfriend's house?" At the mention of her boyfriend Hermione's face contorted into a scowl.

"I found him in bed with a fifteen-year-old. I hexed him before apparating out. I spent the night at the Leaky Cauldron."

"Oh sweetheart, that's terrible." Helen said as she moved around the kitchen table to give her daughter a hug. "You're better off without him anyway. Why didn't you come here though?"

"I was angry, Mum. I decided to get drunk and didn't think that it would be good idea to do that with my parents. Obviously I was wrong." Helen could feel herself flushing. _Well, like mother like daughter, I suppose._

"Yes, well...why don't I put on some tea and you can tell me exactly what happened." As Helen moved about the kitchen to set a fresh pot of tea, Hermione started talking.

"Well, I wanted to go to Diagon Alley to look for a few books for a project I'm doing for school. Harry's been doing better than I have in Potions this year, but with this project Professor Slughorn will have to acknowledge that I'm the better of the two of us." Hermione didn't seem to notice that her mother was gripping the mug in her hands hard enough to turn her knuckles white. "As it turned out they didn't have the books I was looking for and I had to order them. Since I didn't have anything else to do and I really didn't have any money to spare looking through Flourish and Blott's I went back to the Burrow. The Weasel must have thought that I would be distracted by books long enough that he could sneak his little slut in and have some fun. When I got to the Burrow the place seemed empty, which is odd to say the least for that house. I looked for Ron and naturally the first place I checked was his room. I knocked but there was no answer, so I opened the door. They must have put up a Silencing Charm or something, because with the door open it became obvious that she's a screamer." Hermione's face scrunched up in distaste as she remembered what she'd seen.

"I was so angry that I fired a hex that will leave painful boils on their genitalia for weeks to come and apparated out. Like I said: I was feeling sorry for myself and I decided to get drunk like the characters in, um..."

"Those trashy novels you read that you think no one knows about?" Helen felt the first stirrings of amusement she had since Harry had disappeared from her bedroom.

"Well, yes." Hermione admitted with a blush. "Anyway, I rather succeeded at that goal. Tom, the landlord at the Leaky Cauldron was kind enough to rent me a room so I wouldn't splinch myself trying to get home."

"Splinch?"

"Leaving bits of your body behind when apparating." Helen felt her stomach rebel at that thought. _Christ, that sounds absolutely awful...but if Hermione was that drunk..._

"If you were that drunk why aren't you in the same state as I am?"

"Because I bought myself an Anti-Hangover Potion." Helen sent her daughter a weak glare. "Anyway, after I took the potion and was thinking clearly again I wanted to talk to someone about what had happened and as if Ron turning out to be an utter prick wasn't enough, Harry's warded his house against floo and apparition. He's hiding from the world and I have no idea what set him off this time, I just hope he's alright. Mum? Are _you_ alright?" As Hermione spoke, Helen could feel the blood rushing out of her face. _I hope he's alright too, Hermione. I imagine he's spooked at the very least though._

"I-I'm fine."

"I hate to say this, but I think this may be more than a hangover, Mum. You look awful." _I have to tell her. She's going to find out anyway and she'll be angrier if I try to keep it from her. Besides, Harry deserves to have someone to talk to about this._ Helen could feel a familiar reluctance to talk about this welling up. _I guess I can't explain without letting Richard's pussy out of the bag. I hope Hermione can forgive me._ Helen sat down next to her daughter.

"Hermione, there is something I need to confess to you."

"Mum?" Hermione sounded frightened and worried.

"I probably know why Harry is locking himself away."

"You do?! How?"

"Last night he showed up here looking for you. I had been drinking pretty heavily and was roaming the house looking for more alcohol. I got to your room and thought that you might have something. I found your little bottles on your dresser." Now it was Hermione's turn to pale. "I opened one and it changed colour. When I drank it hurt like the devil and turned me into you."

"That's impossible. Polyjuice only turns you into someone else if you add a piece of them: fingernail clippings, spit, hair, something. All my samples were neutral."

"I may have spilt some while I was trying to open the bottle and used your hair brush to scrape it back in." Hermione actually groaned at that and buried her face in her hands. "Anyway, I was lying on the floor of your room feeling sorry for myself when I heard someone calling your name. I had already decided that if it was that redhead I'd send him away. It was Harry though. He must have thought I was you."

"I wonder why?" Helen ignored the sarcastic interruption. _If I stop now, I'll never get it out._

"Harry had apparently heard that you'd run off somewhere. When he saw that I'd been crying, he gave me a hug." Helen didn't notice that her expression had become dreamy. "He was just so sweet, Hermione. He asked if there was anything he could do for me and I asked him to stay for a while. I wasn't really thinking clearly; I just wanted him to keep hugging me. I took him to my bedroom and got him to lie down next to me and hold me. After a while I asked him if he would do me a favour and got him to promise that he would. I asked him to love me." Hermione was shaking her head with a horrified look on her face as if trying to deny what she was hearing. Helen didn't notice as she was now lost in her memories of the night before. "Harry told me that he already loved me, or you rather." Helen smiled at her horrified daughter. "You really are lucky, you know? Or you would be if you would stop being ridiculous about it."

"Mother, please tell me that you didn't have sex with my best friend." Helen could hear the tears barely hiding behind her daughter's voice. She couldn't do anything except look guilty and continue her story.

"I...I did. Harry made sure that I really wanted it and then...if you ever end up in that position I highly recommend you get him to use his parseltongue or whatever he called it. It was the most amazing sex I've ever had. The problem was that during my last orgasm I didn't feel the potion's effects reversing. Harry threw me off and started demanding to know who I was and what I'd done with you. I explained everything to him and he disappeared with a loud noise. His clothes are in the wash and I was hoping you might be able to give them back to him." Helen met her daughter's gaze and it hurt to see the tears running down Hermione's cheeks.

"What-...what are you going to tell Daddy?" Hermione asked sounding more like a little girl than she had in years. Helen sighed.

"I don't know. I doubt he'd care anyway."

"What?! How can you say that?"

"He's been having an affair for the past two years or so; maybe longer."

"No! Daddy would never." Hermione looked angry now. Helen just felt tired. _She finally knows. The reaction is everything I thought it would be._

"Why not? Hermione, your father is human like the rest of us."

"I'm pretty sure Daddy didn't fuck a teenager!" Hermione screamed. Helen just shrugged.

"I'm not sure. Peggy may have been twenty or so when they started, or she may have been younger, so he might have."

"Peggy? Peggy Lettermore, your secretary?" Hermione looked like she was about to throw up. Helen nodded sadly.

"Yes. I guess we've both broken our vows now." That brought Hermione's temper roaring back.

"Broken your vows?! Mother, you raped my best friend and you used _my_ body to do it! How...I mean...do you have any idea what that's going to do to him? To us? How can I ever trust you again?" Those words cut deeper than Helen would have liked to admit. _It's understandable I suppose. I broke her trust just as much, if not worse than Richard broke mine._

"I know, Hermione. I hope that in time both you and Harry can find it in your hearts to forgive me, but I don't expect that to happen any time soon." Hermione's furious glare certainly reinforced that assumption. "I will say that I think you should try to talk to Harry. He did what he did out of love for you and I think that the two of you need each other, now more than ever." Hermione's glare didn't lessen even a little. Abruptly she stood up and marched out of the kitchen. Moments later Helen heard her front door slam shut.

:-:-:-:-:

Hermione stood on a sad looking patch of grass that was struggling to survive in a squalid square. She was looking at a house no one else could see and trying to work up the nerve to convince its inhabitant to let her in. _I can't believe she'd do something like that. I...both my parents are turning out to be horrible people. Why would Harry even want to see the daughter of the woman who raped him? No. No, he was my friend first. I have to believe that. I have to believe it or I'll not have anyone at all._ Taking a deep breath Hermione walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. She took some time to imagine the portrait of Mrs. Black screaming in the hallway. _I'm sorry, Harry, but if it gets your attention it'll be worth it._ Hermione waited on tenterhooks and was eventually rewarded by clicks and creaks that indicated that the door was being opened. Hermione barely caught a glimpse of Harry's face before she saw his eyes widen and he tried to shut the door again. Hermione had anticipated this response and literally stuck her foot in the door.

"Harry, please let me in. We need to talk." It was quiet for a moment and then the pressure eased off her foot and the door opened back up. As soon as there was enough room, Hermione squeezed into the hallway behind the door. She found Harry standing there, his head hanging down. He was wearing a truly unsightly combination of his cousin's old castoffs. Without saying a word he turned around and started making his way towards the kitchen. Hermione closed the front door before hurrying after him. Once they were ensconced in the kitchen, Hermione spoke up again. "Mum told me what happened last night." Harry actually flinched back from her words. "Harry?" He slowly raised his head and she could see that his eyes were bloodshot and had bags under them. A sudden burst of anger at her mother shot through the young witch.

"Do you hate me now?" Harry asked in a thin voice.

"Of course not, Harry. Why would I hate you?"

"Because I...because your mother...I saw..." Harry gestured to Hermione and squeezed his eyes shut. _Because Harry knows what I look like naked. Because he knows what it would feel like to have sex with me. Maybe even because he had sex with my mother. Oh, Harry._ In lieu of an answer, Hermione moved forward and gently hugged her best friend.

"I don't hate you, Harry. I don't blame you for what happened. I am furious with my mother for what she did and for how she hurt you, but I couldn't possibly hate you for it." She could feel shudders running through his body but didn't let go. Harry's arms came up around her and the two friends just sat there like that for a while.

"Hermione?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"Obliviate me."

"What?!"

"Obliviate me. I...I shouldn't have gotten to see what I saw last night. You should get to decide when someone sees you like that."

"And what about you?" Harry just shrugged in answer to her question.

"Doesn't matter." he mumbled.

"Why not?" Harry just looked uncomfortable and tried to avoid meeting her eyes. "Why not, Harry?"

"You're more important." he finally admitted.

"More important than you?" A nod. "Harry, was last night...was that your first time?" Another nod. _I am going to hurt you, mother._ "You would want to forget your first time, just so I could choose who sees me naked first?" A resolute nod. "I guess she was right then: you love me, don't you?" Harry looked at her in shock as a flush started creeping up onto his face. He drew in a heavy breath and with eyes that were clearer than they had been since the night before he nodded again. "Oh, Harry." Hermione engulfed him in a hug again. This time she was somehow more aware of what Harry felt like. She was aware of the fact that he would be able to feel her breasts pressed into his chest. That he could probably smell her they way she could smell him. As Harry's arms came around her, Hermione allowed herself to realise what the protectiveness, the caring and the tenderness with which Harry held her actually meant. After a long hug, Hermione drew back and looked Harry in the eye.

"I don't think there's any need to remove your memories for my sake, Harry. I...I don't mind you being the first to know what I look like." Hermione could feel a blush creeping up her neck and did her best to ignore it. Harry was looking thoroughly gobsmacked.

"Y-you don't? But what about Ron?" A growl escaped Hermione before she could contain it.

"I broke up with that bastard last night."

"What? Why?"

"He's got someone else. I know that he's been sleeping around on me and he even had the gall to try and push me into going further while he was making a mockery of what we had." Harry was giving her a very strange look after her outburst. "What?"

"That sounded eerily like...like your mother when she was, um, being you last night."

"Oh." Hermione felt a little lost at that. _I know everyone's always said that we're pretty similar, but I didn't expect this. Oh. I didn't expect that either._ Harry had moved closer to her and this time he had initiated the hug.

"If you need anything, Hermione, I'm here for you."

"Shouldn't that be my line?"

"Fine. We'll be here for each other. Deal?" Hermione couldn't help but smile.

"Deal."

:-:-:-:-:

After their talk Hermione had collected her belongings from her parents' house and brought them to Grimmauld Place, along with the clothes Harry had left behind when he had fled from her mother. _He's lucky that the Ministry somehow managed to miss his underage, unlicensed apparition._ The two teens spent the rest of the Easter break together just getting comfortable being together again. On the Hogwarts Express Ron tried to get Hermione to take him back and got a broken nose from Harry for his efforts. When they disembarked at Hogsmeade, Harry and Hermione could already see Romilda Vane hovering over him which killed any guilt they might have felt over the incident stone dead. Over the next few weeks they spent most of their time together. They grew steadily closer over that time. Hermione was aware of what Harry felt for her, but she was still trying to work out if she felt the same way. In the end everything came to a head when she saw him at the party in Gryffindor Tower after they had won the Quidditch Cup. The party was in full swing when Harry walked in from his detention with Professor Snape. Cootes was the first to spot him.

"We won!" he yelled, bounding towards Harry while brandishing the silver Cup at him. "We won! Four hundred and fifty to a hundred and forty! We won!" Cootes welcome ensured that everyone in the tower was aware of the fact that their captain had returned and a roar rose from the partying Gryffindors. Amid the raised hands Hermione spotted a streak of red hair rushing forward. She watched as Ginny launched herself at Harry and kissed him on the mouth. She saw Harry recoil from the kiss and look at Ginny with confusion all over his face. Hermione saw red. _How dare that little bitch try to use Harry like that?!_ Hermione had no idea how she ended up between Harry and Ginny, glaring at the younger girl, but she couldn't think of anywhere else she should be. Ginny glared back at Hermione from her position on the floor. _How did she end up on the floor?_ A memory flashed through Hermione's mind of grabbing Ginny's robes and flinging her away from Harry.

"Don't you dare." Hermione hissed out at the youngest Weasley before dragging Harry out of the Common Room. Once outside Hermione realised that she hadn't thought this through, she had simply reacted to the bone deep fury she had felt upon seeing Ginny kiss Harry like that. _He can do so much better than that little harlot. I wouldn't have reacted like that if it had been...well, if..._ Hermione struggled to think of Harry kissing a single girl who wouldn't cause that kind of reaction. Her thoughts weren't helping as they kept putting Hermione herself in that position. _Okay so maybe it wasn't so much 'fury' as it was 'jealousy'. What do I do now? This kind of jumping in before thinking things through is Harry's forte not mine. At this point I can see two options: walk around with Harry and tell him that he can do better than Ginny Weasley or walk around and tell him that I think I want to be with him. A possible third option is keeping silent and looking like a complete nutter._

"Hermione?" Harry sounded a little worried. _And why shouldn't he be? I've just kidnapped him from the common room after he was kissed and haven't said a word since._ Hermione wasn't going to try and fool herself into thinking that she looked anything other than furious right now either which must be fuelling Harry's discomfort even more. She felt a tug on her arm as Harry brought them to a stop. "Hermione are you alright?" It was that concern that sealed the deal for Hermione.

"I will be, Harry. Do you think we could just go to the Room of Requirement?" He gave her a searching look before nodding his head. They set off again, but this time with a destination in mind. Hermione couldn't suppress a thrill of pleasure when she realised that Harry was still holding her hand. When they got to the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy Harry indicated that Hermione should do the honours. If he recognised her bedroom when they entered, he gave no indication of it. _I suppose I should be grateful that when Mother chose to take advantage of him she at least used her own bed._ Hermione walked over to the bed and sat down on it. She pulled Harry down to sit beside her. Now that the moment was here Hermione was starting to feel nervous.

"I'm sorry for pulling you away from the party." Hermione blurted out.

"That's okay. I know you don't like Quidditch."

"It's..." _I'm not sure how to tell him that it's not all about what I want when I'm about to make the point that I want him._ "Harry, I'm more than happy to do things you enjoy too. You know that, right?" Harry nodded carefully. Hermione gave him a sad little smile in return. _Don't worry, Harry. I'll make sure to listen to you. I'm going to do everything I can to make this work._ "Well, like I said I'm sorry for pulling you away from all that."

"It really is okay, Hermione. I was a little uncomfortable with Ginny kissing me anyway."

"I know." Hermione thought about it and amended her statement a little. "Well, I hoped that would be the case at least. Harry, I..." _This is difficult. How was it so easy for Harry to admit this to my mother and again when I pressed him on it?_ "I just...I hated seeing you kiss her." Hermione almost clapped a hand over her mouth after what she blurted out. Harry just watched her. "Ever since we've come back from Easter break I've been spending a ludicrous amount of time trying to figure out what my feelings for you are; what they mean." Hermione looked up hoping that he would get what she was trying to say without her having to actually come out and say it. _No, that's not fair. He said it, and if I mean it I should say it too._ Hermione took a deep breath and offered up her heart. "After I saw Ginny kiss you I realised that I never want any other girl to kiss you. I want to be the one kissing you. Harry, I think...I mean, I want to...will you go out with me?" Harry blinked in surprise though that might be because she had almost yelled her last sentence at him.

"You really mean it?"

"Yes."

"I would love to go out with you, Hermoine." It was said with a quiet conviction that somehow meant the world to the almost giddy witch. Hermione's eyes locked on to Harry's lips and she suddenly realised that she had never initiated a kiss before, but that she really wanted to kiss Harry right now. She had never needed to take the lead when Ron was her boyfriend. Harry seemed to be thinking along similar lines and the two of them slowly and hesitantly leant in to each other. Harry slowly raised a hand and cupped her cheek. _Oh my word, it's really happening. I'm going to kiss Harry. I'm going to-_ Hermione's thoughts ran into a wall of feeling as Harry's lips touched hers. Her arms wound around his neck and she buried her hands in his hair. By the time Harry drew back, Hermione was grinning uncontrollably.

It was late by the time Harry and Hermione made it back to Gryffindor Tower, but there were still enough of their housemates awake that they were treated to a concert of whistles and catcalls. The rumour that Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were dating made it around the school in record time. Many people claimed that it was obvious that the two would end up together. Most of those who didn't were girls who had believed that they could land the Boy Who Lived for themselves. Hermione had never been happier at Hogwarts. _I think that I won't be welcome at the Burrow for a while though. It's a small enough price to pay._

Hermione's happiness took a battering when towards the end of the year Harry and Headmaster Dumbledore left on a mission. Harry had given her his Felix Felicis and an absolutely toe-curling kiss before he left. Hermione had shared the lucky potion with Neville and Luna who were the only ones to answer the call she sent out over the medallions. Together they managed to bring down three Death Eaters, without getting hurt, while the rest ran away. It didn't make the news of the Headmaster's death any easier to take. During the funeral she clung to Harry like drowning woman as she cried buckets for one of the most accomplished wizards she had ever heard of. After the funeral Harry tried to get her to take her parents and leave and was given short shrift.

"Harry, if you think that I'm letting you run off into danger on your own you must have hit your head the last time you fell off of your broom. I'll tell my parents to get out of the country, but I'm not sure how they'll take it. Mother's last letter said they were still working out the divorce so they may want to stay here and finalise that. I'm also not sure how my father's girlfriend will react to the idea that she needs to move for no reason he'll be able to explain."

"But it's going to be dangerous. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I don't want you to get hurt either. Is that going to stop you from going?"

"I have to, Hermione. You know why."

"And I have to go too. You don't have to do everything by yourself and it's my job not to let you." Harry had opened his mouth as if he was going to argue before closing it and shaking his head with a sigh.

"Okay. We'll have to figure out where we'll meet up. I promised Dumbledore that I'd stay with the Dursleys until my birthday to stretch the blood wards' protection for as long as possible."

"That's easy. I'm coming with you. I don't particularly feel like sitting around my parents' house and I have a few things I want to say to your aunt and uncle anyway." Harry gaped at her causing Hermione to smile for the first time since she had heard of Dumbledore's death. "Did you think I was just going to leave you to those people?"

"Hermione, I think you may be underestimating just how nasty my relatives can be."

"Harry, if they even step a toe out of line they're going to learn what it means to anger an adult magic user. They're at least half-way there anyway if what little you've told me about how they treat you is true." Hermione had won that argument in the end and when she got to King's Cross Station she kept her promise to Harry and told her mother that it would be a good idea to get out of the country. Helen agreed that she would leave as soon as the divorce went through. She also took the time to apologise to Harry who couldn't stop blushing around her. Helen read the embarrassed look on his face and beat a quick retreat after Hermione made her intentions clear. Helen only asked that they come find her when they won their war. She gave Hermione a hug goodbye and a suddenly apprehensive Harry got a sad smile and a good luck wish. Their meeting with the Dursleys went a lot less smoothly.

"Like Hell I'll take some she-freak in the house as well as you, boy." Vernon snarled.

"Ahem. You do realise that the 'she-freak' is an adult witch who has no particular compunctions about using magic to make you suffer, right?" Hermione asked in an innocent voice.

"Hah. You can't do that. It's against your laws."

"And who are you going to tell when you're a frog in a biology class?" All of the innocence had left Hermione's tone and only ice was left. Vernon was about to respond when he caught Hermione's eyes and trailed off with a whimper. "For the way you've treated Harry, I'm already very tempted to make your life a living hell. Do, not, push me." Vernon just nodded with another whimper. In the car ride home, the Dursleys seemed to be afraid to so much as breathe. Hermione sat almost on top of Harry, mostly out of necessity from how much space his cousin took up, and raked them with a gimlet eye every time they so much as twitched. That night in Harry's room Hermione sat on Harry's newly transfigured bed with a mischievous look in her eye and cast several spells on Harry's door. She carefully neglected to add a Silencing Charm.

"Harry, can we try something tonight?"

"I guess. What are you proposing?"

"I've heard you can do something amazing with parseltongue."

* * *

 **The End**

* * *

 **AN:** Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. I know that I have some projects listed on my profile but I got thoroughly distracted writing some completely different fics, which means that I now have three that are about half-way done. I'll try to get those out soon.

Until then: happy reading,

LeQuin


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